Printing form



H. C. OSBORN March 7, 1933.

PRINTING FORM I Filed May 16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. C. OSBORN PRINTING FORM March 7, 1933.

Filed May 16, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .FM' m w Patented Mar. 7, 1933 UNITE. STATES,

HENRY c.'osBonn-,cr' CLEVELAND, OHIG, AssreNoB To arunrrsaarn COMPANY, or

- 'wimameron, DELAWARE, A. coaronarion or DELANAR-E PRINTING FORM 1 Application filed. May 16, 1931. SerialNo. 537,893.

This inventionrelates to a printingwform employing a suitable plate and a readily changeable printing member mounted in conjunction with a printing machine. The primary object is to provide a simple, efiective, and readily releasable printing device adapted for cooperation with the matter on the printing plate and within the boundary of that plate. v

Another object of the invention is to provide the changeable printing member and its holding means in such form that they may beapplied through an opening in a printing plate while the same is mounted on the carry ing member of theprinting machine. Such provision enables the portion which is changed tromtime to time to be used in conjunction with a thin electrotype, extending formore than a semi-circumference and slid endwise onto a rotary drum. n V

In accomplishing the above ends I provideon the drum parallel rails, on which I mount a curved electrotype or other printing plate having an opening through it, and then in this opening I place from the outside a slug, which carries the changeable matter and rests on the rails, and I provide suitable means insertable in the opening for locking the slug to the rails.

My invention is adapted for many uses. For instance, in printing price lists, bulletins, circulars, etc., it may be desired to change merely a small part of the complete form from time to time, the rest of the mat terremaining fixed. Likewise, for printing bill forms, where the prices are thereafter to be inserted in a billing machine, it is customary to use a fixed form with the exception of the date, and my system of printing is well adaptedfor producing such bill forms with the proper date, whenever required.

My invention is hereinafter more fully de scribed in connection with the illustrative embodiment shownin the drawings, in which the changeable matter comprises a date or portion thereof, insertable through an opening in' an electrotype mounted on a rotary drum. p

i In the drawings,,Fig. 1 is a transverse sec tionthrough a rotary printing machine, having my invention embodied therein. Figs. 2 and 3 are fragmentary perspectives of a portion of theelectrotype and drum, showing two forms; of my improved method of mounting'a removable insert. Fig. 4 is alongitudinal section through the drum, as indicated by the lines 4:% on Figs. 2 and 8. Fig. 5 is a plan of the drum together with its electrotype removed from the printing machine, certain portions being broken away to illustrate the internal construction. Figs. 6 and 7 are radial sections through the electrotype, removable slug and drum, as indicatedby the lines 6 6 and 7-7 on Figs. 2 and 8, respectively. Fig. 8 is a section taken in substantially the same plane as Figs. 6 and 7, but illustrating a modified form of retaining means. Fig. 9 is a transverse section through the printing slug and associated parts,as indicated by the lines 9-9 on Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 10 is a detailed section through the electrotype and a portion of the removable printing member,as indicated by the lines 10-10 on Fig. 7. Figs. 11 and-12 are perspectives of two forms of removable printing members. Figs. 13, 14. and 15-are perspective views of various'forms of retaining members, which I may employ. 1 Y

In Fig. 1, I have indicated. at 10 a frame, having upright parallel end plates, in which is journalled the horizontal removable driving shaft 11, on which may be mounted a crank 12 or other means for rotating the shaft- On the shaft, between the end plates, is a drum 20, having a splined connection with the shaft. The drum preferably extends for nearly a complete circumference. Thistdrum carries on its surface parallelrails 21, which have overhanging edges, as indicated in Figs. 9' and 10, the rails-preferably extending circumferentially of the-drum as shown. Suitably mounted on the rails are the printing members, which coact with a roller platen 30, mounted in the frame. A suitable inking system, indicated generally at 40 in Fig. 1, may supply ink to the printing members.

In the embodiment shown,the main printing member comprises an electrotype 50, which overlies the rails and rests on them,

The electrotype is held in place on the drum by suitable means, which clamp it tightly thereon. For this purpose I have shown areuate metal straps 58, which lie in rabbets in the edges 54 of the electrotype, each strap being provided with a turn-buckle 52, by which it may be tightened to clamp the electrotype in place. To prevent any possible arcuate shifting of the electrotype, I may provide suitable longitudinal stops carried by the drum. These are indicated by the strips 25, secured at the opposite ends of the drum segment.

To mount the electrotype, the shaft 11 is withdrawn from the drum, the drum removed from the frame, and the electrotype slipped endwise onto the drum. Then the bands are put in place and the turn-buckles are tightened, and the electrotype thus becomes rigidly mounted on the drum, to operate as a unit with it. The drum is then replaced in the frame and the shaft inserted, the spline giving it a driving engagement with the drum.

In order to enable the mounting of changeable matter within the confines of the electrotype, and particularly to mount such matter without removing the electrotype, I form in the electrotype one or more openings which might be notches in the edge of the plate but are preferably elongated slots through it, as shown at 55 and 56 in Fig. 5, and in other views respectively.

. The variable matter is carried on arcuate slugs, adapted to be inserted through such openings as 55 or 56 and held to the rails 21, beneath the openings. Thus, I have shown arcuate slugs 60 and 61, carrying, for instance, date type, which are adapted to be mounted in the openings in the electrotype, and rest in definite position with relation thereto by engagement with the rails. The slugs have arcuate tongues 62 or 63, which pass into the region between the rails and have heads 64 or 65, which rest on the top of the rails, as illustrated, for instance, in Fig. 9. The heads are of such radial depth that when they rest on the rails, the printing face of the slug is in surface registration with the printing face of the electrotype.

The slug, when placed with its web between the. rails, is retained by one or more clips engaging the rails and overlapping one or both endsof the slug. In the form shown in Figs. 6 and 12, the head 64 of the slug continues to the extreme end thereof, and the clips comprise sheet metal members 70, Ushaped in cross section and adapted to be sprung into the space between the rails and having extensions 71 of their top portions, overhanging the head of the slug, the clip in this case being of the form shown at in Fi 13.

ometimes it is desired to have the characters carried by the inserted slug come close to the matter on the electrotype and form a continuation of a line thereon, as indicated by the slug 61 in Fig. 5 and the printing dots 58 in the electrotype. In this case, one end of the slug extends beneath the electrotype and the clip is applied only at the other end. To effect this, the end portions of the head beyond the printing matter, are cut off down to the level of .the web, as shown in Figs. 7 and 11. With such aslug, one end may eX- tend beneath the electrotype, and the clip ap plied only at the other end. Such mounting is shown in Fig. 7, and in this case, the clip 7 4 has its tongue 75 bent down to engage the projecting slug web, this form of clip being shown in Fig. 14.

In cases where the printing roller is to have very high speed, it may be desired to lock the slug positively against any possible centrifugal force, rather than i to rely on spring clips, and for such use I may employ the construction illustrated in Figs. 8 and 15. There the slug 61 may have one end passed beneath the electrotype, although such end is not shown, while the other end is held by a metal clip 76. which rests'on top of the rails and overhangs the projecting web 63, the clip being locked by a screw bolt 77, pass ing into a nut 78, lying in the rail channel beneath the rail heads. A suitable downturned tongue 7 9 on the end of the clip, prevents rotation thereof about the screw axis, and when the screw is tightened, the clip is locked definitely in place and holds the slug against displacement. A slight loosening of the screw, however, allows the clip to be slid away from the slug, and the slug readily removed and replaced by a different slug.

It will be seen that, whichever form of slug and retaining device is used, the slug may be very quickly put into place and locked, and likewise, quickly removed, without disturbing the mounting of the electrotype. This enables the electrotype to be properly fitted on the drum for accurate printing, and the variable portion to be readily changed according to the requirements.

In utilizing the invention for printing forms for use on a billing machine, it is im portant that the lines made by electrotype and those made by the slugs are 'all on the same system of spacing, corresponding to the distance between lines on the billing machine. I effect this by making the rails distant from center to center the same as the line space of the billing machine, and I place the electrotype on the drum, so that the lines thereof register with the space between rails. This brings the slugs, which are necessarily centered with space between the rails, in the same spacing system as the billing machine. This is illustrated in Fig. 5 by broken lines leading from certain words on the electrotype and from theslugsto the corresponding channels between rails. To insure the electrotype coming properly to position, I

device mounted in the opening and resting on the rails.

2. The combination of a member having parallel rails, a printing plate mounted on top of the rails bridging across them, said plate having an opening in it, and a printing device mounted in the opening and having a tongue extending into channels between rails.

3. The combination of a rotary drum, having projections on its surface, a printing plate mounted on the drumon top of the projections and having an opening through it over certain projections, and a printing slug mounted in the opening and resting on some of the projections beneath the opening.

4. The combination of a rotary drum, having rails on its surface, a printing plate mounted on the drum on top of the rails and having an opening through it over certain rails, and a printing slug mounted in the opening and having a head resting on the face of rails beneath the opening and a tongue extending between such rails.

5. The combination of a rotary drum having parallel rails on its surface, a printing plate mounted on the drum and having an opening through it, a. printing slug mounted in the opening and having a head resting on the face of some of the rails and a tongue extending between them, and means carried by the printing drum to engage the slug and hold it on the rails.

6. The combination of arotary printing drum having circumferentially extending rails, a curved printing platen resting on the rails and having an opening, and an arcuate printing slug T-shaped in cross section occupying the opening and having its head portion resting on the rails and its web portion extending between them.

7. The combination of a rotary printing drum having circumferentially extending rails, an arcuate printing slug, T-shaped in cross section, having its head portion resting on the rails, and its web portion extending between them, and one or more clips carried by the rails for holding the slug in place.

8. The combination of a printing member, having parallel rails, a printing plate resting on the rails and having an opening, a

printing slug occupying the opening and hav-v ing a Web extending between the rails and a pair of clips carried by the rails and engaging opposite ends of the slug.

9. The combination of a printingmember having parallel rails, a printing plate thereon, and a printing slug T-shaped in cross section with its head resting on the rails and its web extending between them, the head being cut away at one end to enable the web to extend beneath the plate at that end.

'10. The combination of a print'ng member having parallel rails, the printing plate thereon having an opening, a slug occupying the opening, said slug being T-shaped in cross section, so that its head rests on the rails and its web extends between them, the head being cut away at one end to enable the web to extend beneath the plate at that end,and a clip clamped to one of the rails for engaging the other end of the slug. 7

11. The combination of a printing member having parallel rails and a. printing slug, T- shaped in cross section, whereby the web may be inserted radially between'the rails, with the head of the slug resting on the face of the rails, and means carried by a pair of adjacent rails for holding the slug against outward movement. til) 12. The combination of'a printing drum having parallel rails and a printing slug, T- shaped in cross section, whereby the web may be inserted radially between the rails, with the head of the slug resting on the face of the rails, and a spring clip adapted to besprung into position between the rails and having a tongue overhanging the adjacent end of-the slug.

' 13. A slug for changeable mounting in i conjunction with a printing form, comprising a head carrying pri ngcharacters on its face and a Web on the other side of the head, the head terminating short of the web on one or both ends.

14. A changeable printing device, comprising an arcuate head, having printing characters on its convex side and a smooth parallel-faced web on its concave side.

15. A changeable printing device, comprising an arcuate head, having printing characters on its convex side and a parallel sided web on its concave side, combined with a rotary drum having parallel, circumferentially extending rails between which the Web of the slug may extend.

16. The combination of a form carrying member, having parallel rails on its surface, a printing plate mounted on top of the rails and having printing lines thereon spaced according to the spacing of the rails and having an opening through it, a printing device mounted in the opening and resting on the rails beneath the opening and spaced thereby in correspondence with the line spacing on, the plate.

17. The combination of a rotary printing drum having parallel rails, a printing plate thereon having printing lines spaced according to the spacing of the rails and having an opening and a slug occupying the opening, said slug being T-shaped in cross section, so that its head rests on the rails and its Web extends between them and positions the slug v in the same line spacing as the plate.

18. The combination of a rotary printing drum having circumferentially extending rails, a curved printing plate resting on the rails, a stop on the drum engaged by one arcuate end of the plate, means for tightening the plate arcuately about the drum, an arcuate printing slug T-shaped in cross section, having its head portion resting on a pair of the rails and its Web portion extending between them, said slug having its printing face registering With that of the plate, and a platen coacting With both the plate and the slug.

19. The combination of a printing plate having an openin in it, means extending across the plate an opening for carrying the printing plate during printing, said means having a recess registering With the opening, and an interchangeable printing member adapted to be mounted on said carrying means and having a head portion Within said opening and provided With printing characters standing the same height-to-paper as the characters on the plate and a reduced tongue portion occupying said recess.

20. The combination of a rotary drum, a curved printing plate mounted thereonand having an opening in it, and a removable printing slug adapted to be mounted from the outside on the drum and having a tongue occupying a recess in the drum and an overhanging head resting on the outer surface of the drum and occupying the opening in the plate.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my signature.

HENRY G. OSBORN. 

